Your eyes spring open. For a time you don’t know where you are, as your eyes blink and shoot from one side of your field of vision to the next. When they finally stop, they are looking at a painting of two flowers in a vase. You relax, it’s resting on the mantelpiece to the right of the bed. You are still in Fluttershy’s bedroom. You haven’t woken outside in the snow covered woods and been killed by the wooden wolf. You are safe in Fluttershy’s home where it can’t get to you, you hope. You close your mouth and try to gather some saliva to wet your parched throat. Breathing through your nose helps you to get your breath under some degree of control, although it still comes in jerks, like you just finished running a mile at an all-out dash. You close your eyes and force your diaphragm to ignore the instructions it’s getting from your brain. With each slow inhale and exhale your heart rate slows down as your body’s imagined need for oxygen diminishes. After about a couple of minutes your breathing is back to normal and you can switch it back to autopilot.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s alright.”

The voice makes you open your eyes and turn your head to your left side. Fluttershy is sitting there looking at you with a worried expression in her eyes.

“Fluttershy, what are you doing here?!” You sit up, surprised at seeing her sitting there.

As the words leave your mouth you mentally kick yourself. “Asking the owner of a house what they are doing in it. God what’s next on the stupid question list, genius?”

“Um… well you were crying out, like you were afraid and I just came to make sure you were alright.” She looks a bit taken aback by your question which makes you kick yourself harder.

“Well… I’m okay as you can see, just had thought I saw a-a-a.”

“A what?” Fluttershy clearly isn’t buying your explanation.

“A… um.”

“Come on think of something, anything.”

You could of course just tell her the truth that you were having a nightmare, that you were lost in the forest of the night with the wooden wolf chasing you. The snow on the ground and in the air turning blood red as it gained on you, until it finally pounced on you with its maw wide open, the collision bringing you back from the nightmare. You could admit this. However admitting to not only having a nightmare, but also crying out in your sleep like a scared little child is just not something you can do. It would make you more of a child in your eyes.

“It’s okay to be afraid of a nightmare.” Fluttershy talks before you can elaborate on your excuse.

“What Nightmare? I wasn’t having any nightmares, I was just… just.” You start trying to find a new excuse, but stop yourself. “Fluttershy, how long have you been sitting there?” You might as well see how good your chances are of talking your way out of this, before you make a bigger fool of yourself.

“… About ten minutes. I’m sorry I didn’t wake you but-.” As you look at Fluttershy and she stops before she can begin to break up in self-doubt.

“It’s okay Fluttershy, and… I was having a nightmare.” You decide to put your cards on the table, since you can’t see any way to talk your way out of this one.

“Was it about the Timberwolf?” Fluttershy places a hoof on your hand for support.

You look at her hoof resting on your hand. The feeling of warmth from it helps loosen up, and the now at least you have a name to put on your assailant. A Timberwolf, the name seems oddly appropriate for a wolf made out of wood.

You nod, but suddenly ask “How did you know,” you realize that you never told her what attacked you.

“Well, I’ve lost a few woodland friends to Timberwolves through the years, so I know what a Timberwolf attack looks like.” She pauses for a moment, turning her head down and slightly to the side; you notice her ears are lying down and she’s biting her lower lip. The memories, like the one with the dying swan she talked about with Twilight when you first got here, clearly still causes her pain. She finally looks back up at you her ears standing back up as she give you a brave smile. “But don’t worry. It won’t come here, and if it does, I’ll protect you.”

You have to fight a brave fight not to give her a deadpan look or accidently laugh at her statement. Fluttershy might be able to talk down a dragon, but seeing how these worlds’ sentient beings are, it probably wasn’t all that hard. They probably sat down and had a cup of tea and found a compromise that suited all parties and then they went home for tea. Fluttershy can’t even stand up to a mail pony she doesn’t know. The thought that she would be able to stand up to a ferocious and deadly predator out for blood, just seems ridiculous.

“Would you like some warm milk with honey? It always helps me when I have nightmares.” The adorable sight of Fluttershy holding out a glass with warm milk and honey towards you only confirms this in your mind.

****

The warm milk with honey doesn’t rid you of the nightmare, they continue until your body reach a compromise that allows you to sleep. It keeps you from dreaming by only allowing you a light sleep. While this allowed you to sleep it means that your sleep is balancing on a razor’s edge. You sleep lightly, waking several times during the night, your mind and body in a panic of what’s to come. When morning finally arrives you hardly feel like you have slept at all. Sitting at the breakfast table, you fully discover the effects. As long as you have something to keep your mind occupied you were fine, but as soon as your mind began to wander, drowsiness began creeping up on you.

“Are you alright?” Fluttershy sends you a worried look as you doze off for the fourth time since the two of you sat down for breakfast.

“Yeah I’m fine, just a little sleepy.” You give your head a little shake trying to get rid of the drowsiness.

“You should drink some herbal tea, it’ll help.”

You look at Fluttershy, and then at the cup of tea she poured you when you first sat down at the table. Herbal tea, what you wouldn’t give for a cup of coffee or some cans of Red Bull, something with enough caffeine to wake the dead. Caffeine and bacon, for the first time since you came here you discovered that you miss meat. Up until now your body has been taking what nourishment it could get and haven’t been asking questions. Now however, it’s gotten enough nourishment to start to make angry demands. Right now it wants bacon, bacon with a large side of steak, and a glass of gravy; a large glass of gravy; with gravy so thick that the smallest taste would give a huge bull elephant fatal heart disease. Looking at the table brings your body’s requests to a halt. There is no meat and seeing that this world is populated by ponies that are naturally herbivores the chances of getting any is none.

You take a sip of the herbal tea and give a short grimace. The tea has a very acidic taste that makes you cough lightly. “What kind of tea is this,” you ask, smacking your lips trying to dull the taste in your mouth.

“It’s made from stinging nettles. I gather them in the summer, then I dry them and cut them up for tea, don’t you like it?” She takes a big sip of her cup and smiles at you as if to show you how yummy it is. “It’s really good for you. It’s full of vitamins and minerals and it gives you loads of energy.”

You take another sip, for her if for nothing else. The taste isn’t as bad as at first, now that you know what to expect, with a drop of milk and a bit of sugar it wouldn’t be half bad. As you eat your breakfast you have another cup, and you have to agree with Fluttershy. It worked slower than caffeine, but you feel a lot more awake than when you sat down at the table this morning. The rest of breakfast is a silent affair. Both of you still seem to remember the fight you had last night. As you finish your third cup you look over the table at Fluttershy. She seems to be deep in thought, like there is something she needs to do, but she doesn't want to or is afraid to do. Kind of like the way you used to look, when you had to get something from your parents’ basement at night, when you were a child.

Normally she is quite cheery in the morning. She’ll walk around the house humming while she prepares the nesting boxes that hang around inside her house. Some look like they are for birds, while others have little staircases leading up to them, so they must be for land based animals. Apparently there are animals living in them during the summer. Now she’s sitting and drawing circles on the table with her hoof. Her ears are lying slightly down, a gesture you know from studying her through the last couple of weeks, as a sign that she feels insecure. Like she not only remembers last night’s clash, but is sad about it as well.

“Are you okay?” You ask her, as you put down the cup on the table. “You've been very quiet this morning.”

Fluttershy snaps to attention at the sound of your voice and cup on the table. She blinks her eyes a couple of times, finally recognizing where she was, as if she had been somewhere else for the last couple of minutes.

“Huh? What? Oh yes, I’m quite all right.” She turns her gaze back to the table and returns to drawing imaginary circles on it. The worried expression on her face, clearly showing she’s trying to avoid the subject.

This leaves you sitting quite perplexed. Throughout your time here, you had grown accustomed to you changing the subject, every time Fluttershy asks if you are feeling alright. To suddenly have the tables turned on you is not something you expected when you got up this morning. What are you going to do? What would be appropriate to do?

“Are you sure? You look like something is troubling you.” Choosing the most relaxed and reassuring voice you can, you fold your hands and place them on the table. You look at her trying to make her meet your eyes.

You see her gaze travel all over the tabletop, as if it can’t find its focus. Knowing this reaction from yourself, you know she must be trying to find some sort of excuse.

“Well... I was just afraid that I forgot to prepare some of the nesting boxes for my critter friends.” She tells you while she does her best not to look you in the eyes. “And they would be so disappointed if I hadn’t made sure they had a place to stay.”

You may not, unlike your parents and teachers, have taken a ten years long course at the FBI and CIA to help you spot liars, cheaters and copyists. You wouldn’t have to in this case; Fluttershy is, if it was even possible, a worse liar than you are.

You see she’s motioning to get up. She’ll probably go pretending to check the nesting boxes, in an attempt to make her excuse more believable. Without thinking of what would be proper or the right thing to do in this situation, your hands shoot over the table and grabs the hoof she used to draw circles on the table with. As your hands enclose her hoof, you’re both surprised, she gives a small gasp and you feel the muscles in the front leg tense. You look at your hands as if your arms just turned into a pair of poisonous snakes, snakes that just sunk their teeth in Fluttershy. As you quickly look up from your hands to her, you see her eyes are dilated, is she afraid of your sudden action? She could well be, you notice her ears are lying down, and she’s looking at you with a nervous look in her eyes, as if she doesn’t know whether she should fight or flee.

“L-Listen Fluttershy, I-I’m sorry for getting mad at you last night.” The words are not well prepared since your former actions just happened like a natural reflex. “I didn’t mean to upset you or make you sad and I’m really sorry if I’ve done so.” You stop when you notice one of your thumbs is stroking Fluttershy’s hoof on its own accord. “Oh no! She gonna think that it’s totally creepy, and then she’ll think I’m creepy!” You could have stopped your thumb, you could have let go of Fluttershy’s hoof. Instead in your panic you continue to try and explain yourself. “Um... I’m really grateful for you saving me, and taking care of me, and putting up with my mood swings, and I’m really, really sorry if you’re sad because of me, and if you want me to leave I will and, and-.” You finally manage to stop your thumb’s motions, but you still hold on to her hoof. It’s like your body is ignoring your brain’s orders, like it’s afraid that if you let go, you’ll lose the only constant you’ve got left in this world.

Since you came here you’ve been like a ragdoll to fate’s whim. Constantly she’s presented you with firsts, your first animal attack, your first real near death experience and your first time knowing that you can be utterly helpless on your own. Like a sailor lost on a storm swept ocean, you have been thrown about with each wave that have come your way. In all this time you have only had one piece of driftwood to cling on to, one little spot of firm ground on which to be safe from the terror of the storm, and in your panic you realize that it’s her.

Turning your eyes down to the table you don’t know what to do. If your body hadn’t reacted as it did, you might have been able to talk it over calm and collected with Fluttershy. You might have been able to find out what was bothering her and the two of you could have found a sensible solution. Instead, you lost your head and started to babble whatever was on your mind at the time.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” you’ve regained your cool, but with that comes the realization of the cluster fuck you just made. “How could I have been so stupid? Now she thinks that I’m a total lunatic. I mean what was I thinking grabbing her like that? Grabbing... oh no!” Realizing from the warmth between your enclosed hands that you are still holding her hoof, you immediately let go.

Before you can open your fingers however something closes around one of your hands and holds it in place. Moving your eyes up from the table to your hands, you see Fluttershy has enclosed one of your hands between her two hooves. Moving your gaze further up your eyes meets Fluttershy’s.

She’s smiling a calming smile at you, her ears are up again in their normal position and neither one of her eyes are hidden by her hair. Bathed in her undivided attention you don’t know what to do, should you say something? Maybe you should, but any words escape you.

As you sit there not knowing what to do, Fluttershy begins to carefully stroke your hand with her free hoof, as if to emulate your thumbs actions. “It’s okay, and I’m sorry that I tried to make you put that silly collar on.”

You are possibly even more at a loss than before. How can she not be disgusted by your grabbing her hoof and blabbering? Could it be that acceptable in pony culture? Is she seeing this as further subjugation on your part? Is she acting strangely because it’s a full moon? What?!

“And I’m happy that you are alright, and that you’ve been here this winter. Then I had someone to talk to and I didn’t have to be so alone.”

The statement leaves you surprised; she seems like a popular pony, and other than when she tries to put collars on people you don’t see any reason why she should be lonely.

“What do you mean by alone? I mean you have your friends and your animals and you go on adventures.”

Before you can go on Fluttershy starts to talk. “Oh I have my friends, but they have so many things they have to do. They have their work, and in the winter all the animals that don’t go south for the winter hibernate, and you’ve seen me around ponies, I don’t know how to act around ponies I don’t know.” Fluttershy stops her hoof strokes, as she turns her gaze away from you her features get a sadder look.

“Well, I don’t know how to act around ponies I don’t know, but I’m happy that it was you who found me and took care of me. Otherwise I don’t know what I would do.” You mentally kick yourself. That has got to be the most stupid and cheesy sentence ever to leave your lips.

Before you can go into mentally beating yourself up again you see Fluttershy is once again is looking you in the eyes. The doubt she had seems to be gone, as she holds your eyes and you both smile.

Grabbing her hoof and spilling your guts suddenly doesn’t seem so bad. Finally thanking her for all she’s done for you, and her telling you that you haven’t just been a burden have broken down the walls you both hide behind. Like two frightened children who were lost in the dark, now the light has come and you finally see each other. Not as animal and caretaker, not as nurse and patient, but as something more.

“W-Would you mind being my friend?” Still looking you in the eyes and holding your hand, Fluttershy is the first to break the silence.

“I would love to, if you wouldn’t mind being mine,” you reply, still holding her gaze with yours.

A series of knocks bring both of your attention to Fluttershy’s front door. Fluttershy lets go of your hand. She gets up from the pillow she’s been sitting on and walks over to the door. When she reaches it she opens the top of the Dutch door and pops her head out.

“Hey Fluttershy did you sleep well?” A voice you recognize as Twilight’s asks, it sounds way too chirpy for this early time of day.

“Oh, Twilight what are you doing here?” Fluttershy’s reply surprises you, since she told you yesterday that Twilight would come by.

“We agreed that I could come by today remember?” Sounds like Twilight is as surprised as you are.

“Did we? Um... yes, we did. Silly me, I must have forgotten.” The nervous giggle at the end of the sentence makes you cock your eyebrow. What’s going on here?

“Sooo, can I come in?” By the tone of her voice Twilight seems to feel the same way, although there is a friendly hint of compassion tone in her voice.

“Yes... I mean yes of course you can... just a minute.” Fluttershy closes the door, a bit too quick for good taste.

Closing the door she stands with her back to it and looks as if she just opened the door on a Mongol horde. A Mongol horde that discovered that pillaging was for sissies, and had turned to the truly evil plan and started to work for the IRS. Before you can ask her what’s going on, she suddenly zooms up stairs to the bedroom. Before the dust cloud she left could evaporate, she comes flying down again, one of the spare blankets from her linen closet in her mouth and the washbowl in her hooves. Throwing the washbowl on the table in front of you, she throws the blanket over your shoulders.

“Fluttershy, what in the world are you do-? Gagh!” Your question is stopped as she grabs a thermometer from the washbowl and jabs it into your mouth almost putting it down your throat in her hurry.

Fluttershy is about to come over to you to make sure you are alright, but a new series of knocks on her front door make her stiffen. She quickly draws the blanket tight around you, covering your upper body and neck.

“Just a moment!” Turning back to you after answering Twilight’s knocking, she looks you nervously in the eyes. “Please, don’t remove the blanket and hold it tight around yourself, if you don’t mind.”

You are about to inquire why she is acting like this, but the pleading look she gives you stop in your tracks. Nodding your head in agreement, you use your hands to pull the blanket tightly around yourself. Using your tongue, you move the thermometer out to the far right corner of your mouth before you finally ask. “Buth whath iss going on, why are we doing thiss?”

“I’ll explain everything when Twilight leaves, please.” Her words are followed with a pleading look.

The pleading look she gives you makes you agree to this, in your eyes, ridiculous charade. You feel like saying no would be tantamount to kicking a puppy or kitten begging for food. “Okay, buth this had bethther be good.”

Having finally gotten you to accept, Fluttershy quickly moves to the door and opens it. “Sorry for keeping you waiting Twilight, but I left the kettle on and, well you know.”

“Ookay, so can I come in now?” Judging by her voice, it seems both you and Twilight think Fluttershy’s explanation landed about twenty yards from making any sense for her behaviour.

“Oh, of course Twilight, do come in.” Fluttershy quickly moves to the side allowing Twilight to enter.

Sitting at the end of the table with your back to the kitchen you see Twilight crossing the doorstep and enter the house. She looks as you remember her from your first meeting, with a few differences. The last time you saw her, she was close to panic because you were having a cardiac arrest, from seeing talking ponies for the first time. She wasn’t wearing any clothes either. Now she was wearing a scarf, two pair of what looked like winter boots, a pair of saddlebag on her back, and... what seemed to be a saddle.

“Why would she be wearing a saddle if she doesn’t, oh she’s looking at me.”

Having taken her winter clothes off, Twilight is indeed looking at you. She’s just standing there and looking at you with a directness that makes you feel somewhat uncomfortable.

“Is he sick, Fluttershy? I thought you said he was getting better.” Finally averting her eyes to look at Fluttershy, Twilight stops staring at you, making you relax.

“Well... he is, but he woke up this morning with a fever so... I’m taking his temperature.” Hurrying over to you Fluttershy takes the thermometer and looks at it. “Oh dear, his fever seems to be rising, maybe we better wait to do this until he is feeling better.”

“Can I see?” Using her magic, Twilight reaches for the thermometer.

“NO!!!” Fluttershy almost screams as she removes the thermometer out of Twilights magic’s reach, leaving all three of you surprised by her sudden outburst. “Um... I mean, no he just had it in his mouth; it would be unhygienic... so, well you see... I’ll just take this out and wash it... if that’s okay with you.”

Not getting any response from Twilight, who still looks a little taken aback by her strange behaviour, Fluttershy quickly moves to the kitchen. Twilight and you are left in the living room, both of you having a perplexed look on your faces.

Hearing the water starting to run in the kitchen snaps you both back to reality. Twilight gives her head a little shake and then turns to you. “Well... that was strange... so, how are you feeling?”

You turn your gaze to her and give her your best attempt at a smile. You are about to answer her question, but stop yourself. The sound of bells tells you that Twilight is using her magic. She uses it to open her saddlebags and is now levitating their content on to the dining table. An inkpot, a quill and a clipboard together with a large stack of paper, all of them are levitated and neatly organised on the table. As a child, well let’s be honest up to this day, you always wished you could have superpowers, and this display of telekinesis is the first time you ever seen anything close to superpowers. It leaves you dumbstruck. Hearing about her powers is one thing, seeing them in action is something else.

Sitting down at the opposite side of the table from where you’re sitting, Twilight again uses her magic. This time she unscrews the cap on her inkpot and dips her quill in it. You are still so fascinated by her magic that you don’t hear that she’s talking to you. The quill flies over the paper, scribbling away without her touching either. When it stops, you continue to fixate on the objects, hoping for what you see as a demonstration to continue.

As Fluttershy finally returns to the living room you are finally brought back to reality by a laud annoyed sigh from Twilight. Blinking your eyes, you look up at her wondering how long you were distracted.

“My name... is Twilight, Twilight!” Judging from Twilight’s expression of close to desperation, as she moves her front hooves towards her chest, each time she mentions her name, it must have been several minutes.

“Yes I know, and that’s Fluttershy.” You say as you point towards the pony in question. “I’m sorry for zoning out; I got a little distracted by your magic.” You smile apologetic at her as one of your hands runs up and down your neck.

There is a moment of silence as Twilight looks surprised at you. You were starting to get a little bit worried, but then her expression go from surprised to ecstatic.

“You can talk Equestrian, oh, this is so exciting!” The faint sound of bells begins again as Twilight crumbles the piece of paper, she had been writing on into a ball with her magic. Not even looking behind her, she magically throws it over her shoulder, hitting the basket Fluttershy uses for firewood that stands next to the fireplace, for a perfect three points shot.

As you sit more and more in awe of her skills with magic, Fluttershy decides to join the conversation. “Um... Twilight maybe you shouldn’t use so much magic. They don’t have magic where he comes from, and I think it’s a bit overwhelming for him.”

“Sorry, I’ll just stick to writing, okay?” The quill now goes from doing large broad strokes to only the most basic movements necessary for writing. “But why are you calling him, him? Haven’t you been properly introduced?”

“Hmm? Oh yes we have, but I think you should introduce yourself, if I just blurted out your name it would be rude.” Looking a bit bashful at you, she places the thermometer on the table as she sits down to the left of you.

“Well, okay.” You say as you look from Fluttershy to Twilight. “My name is-.”

At the same moment as you say your name, a loud whistle suddenly comes from the kitchen, drowning out your voice. Fluttershy jumps up at the sound and hurries out into the kitchen and turns off the stove. When the whistle stops Twilight looks at you.

“That’s a strange name.” Apparently she heard it over the teakettle whistling.

“For you maybe, but there aren’t many people called Twilight or Fluttershy where I come from.” Looking a little annoyed at Twilight, you remember not to get too defensive. You don’t want another Vet Goodall episode. “So, read any good books lately?” Deciding to change the subject before anything happens, you turn to a subject you know Twilight likes.

“Well, actually I just finished a book called ‘Heavens, Helios’ and Hemispheres’. It’s really exciting you see-.”

As Twilight goes into nerd-mode, and starts to use terminology that you don’t understand, you do as you do when you’re seated next to your talkative aunt at a family gathering. You listen to the end of the sentences and say no, yes, really, you don’t say, as well as other words and small sentences. This makes it sound like you're paying close attention for the untrained ear, but leaves you free to not get your ear talked off. It also leaves the one talking to do so without being interrupted, so it was a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Twilight seems none the wiser and continues to talk and talk. “And talk, doesn’t she ever stop?” Your aunt might have been a contender, but Twilight seems to be the world heavyweight champion in talking someone's ear off.

Your ‘talk’ with Twilight is brought to a halt, when your gaze turns towards the door to the kitchen. Fluttershy is standing there and is giving you a somewhat disapproving look. Apparently she has a more trained ear than Twilight.

“Well it’s good to see the two of you getting on so well.” Coming over to the table again she sits down, still giving you a disapproving glance.

“Yeah, Twilight was just telling me about a new book she’s been reading, it’s very exciting.” You look from her to Twilight and smile at her in an attempt to make it look like you've been hanging on every word she said.

“Oh I have only just gotten past the foreword.” Twilight smiles back at you. Then she looks at you with a more serious look. “But what was your favourite part?”

“Favourite part?” From pretending to hang onto every word she said you seem to have hanged yourself. “Well... the part where you went into detail about... what was it... um... well you see.”

Had Twilight thought you were really paying attention, then to find that you haven’t, you would have guessed that she would have been looking more disappointed. The look on her face however is not one of disappointment, but a rather knowing one at that.

Twilight continue to give you the same look she gave you when she entered the door. You move a bit nervously on your stool, is she going to be mad at you?

Her facial expression, soon changes back to her more giddy expression as she pulls out a scroll from the pile next to her. “Okay, I made a list with questions. Could we go through it?”

“Sure, I would love to.” Relaxing after seeing her going back to her happy side, you decided that this would be a good compensation for not paying attention to her before.

“Good.” Getting your approval Twilight rolls out the scroll.

It rolls across the table, then it falls of the table and continue to roll over the floor and disappear under Fluttershy’s couch. You looked at the scroll in awe, it’s just crossed several yards.

“What kind of paper is it made of? There’s no way such a small scroll can hold so much paper.”

Focusing on her list, Twilight doesn’t see your expression. “Okay, first question. What are you?”

“I’m a human.” The questions directness doesn’t leave much room to elaborate, so you choose to answer directly.

“Huuuman, hm,” Twilight pronounces the word like she’s tasting it. The quill starts to run over a sheet of paper next to her. She looks up from her list and check what she’s writing.

As the quill comes to a stop, she looks up at you again. “Second, where do you come from?”

She continues like this down through the list. The session starts to feel more like an interrogation than some friendly questions. To be interrogated is not a feeling you like, the annoyance you felt before starts to slowly sneak back in your mind. You constantly fight it back to not end up in a situation like with Vet Goodall, but the fight becomes harder and harder to win. Each question chipping at you self control

“Question eighty two, who is leader of your country, tribe, clan or pack?” Twilight continues her questioning, seemingly unaware of anything other than her list and her constant scribbling.

“Maybe we should stop for now Twilight.” Fluttershy breaks in. “He really should be off to bed, so his fever doesn’t get worse, and he doesn’t have that much energy right now. So maybe we should call it a day?” As you look at her, you see that she looks a little nervous, seemingly she been keeping an eye on you, and have been able to read your annoyance.

“Hm, well okay. Sorry if some of the questions seemed a little silly, but it’s just so exciting to have a human in Equestria, after all, we’ve never seen one before.” With her magic Twilight rolls the scroll together again and places it on the table.

Your annoyance subsides and you smile at her. “No problem Twilight, I’m happy to answer your questions.” You lie, as you remember to sound tired to give Fluttershy’s statement some credibility. “I think I need to lie down for a while.”

“Yes, we better get you to bed right away.” Getting from her seat Fluttershy walks over and helps you up.

You remember to keep a firm hold on the blanket so it doesn’t fall down as you and Fluttershy move towards the stairs.

“I’ll just tuck him in Twilight, and then I’ll be right back.” Turning her head back from talking to Twilight Fluttershy looks relaxed for the first time today.

“Sure Fluttershy.”

The sound of magic behind you and the sound of Twilight’s saddlebags hitting the floor, tells you that Twilight is most likely starting to pack her bags. You let out a relieved sigh. Whatever Fluttershy’s little deception was about it worked, now you just need to ask Fluttershy what it was all about when Twilight’s gone and then.

“Um, Fluttershy.” Twilight’s voice makes both you and Fluttershy stop in your tracks.

“Yes, what is it Twilight?” Fluttershy sounds a bit nervous as you both turn to face Twilight in unison.

“This is the thermometer you used right.” Holding the thermometer with her magic she looks alternately to you and the thermometer.

“Yes.” Judging by her voice and facial expression Fluttershy, like you, doesn’t know where Twilight is going with this.

“Well, I could be mistaken, but isn’t this the kind of thermometer that’s go in the other end?”

There is an eerie silence in the room. You don’t know what going on inside the minds of Fluttershy and Twilight, but there is a lot going on in your mind. “What the fuck did she just say?! The other end, that means... oh god!” Your thoughts, like the silence in the room come to an end as your gag reflex kicks in.

“No, that’s an oral thermometer Twilight I don’t have an, eep!” Fluttershy’s response is cut short when she is unceremoniously pushed to the floor.

You sprint, or at least move as quickly as you can to the kitchen, almost falling over Fluttershy who was unfortunate enough to stand between you and your destination. Reaching the sink your body’s reflexes finally gets the better of you. What remains of your breakfast spills or is rather shot into the sink. Running out of stomach content, but still in a state of near panic you turn on the water.

“Oh god, I just had something in my mouth Fluttershy has had up her... URGH!!!! What if she also uses it on her animal friends? OH NO, WHAT IF I GET BIRD FLU OR SOME OTHER DISGUSTING DISEASE!!!”

You alternate between filling your mouth with water and then spitting it out violently; using the bar of soap in an attempt you disinfect your tongue. When you reach for the cheese grater that stands next to the sink in your panicked attempt to avoid infection, a pair of hooves grab your arm.

“Stop!” The voice makes you look up, you see Fluttershy holding your arm firmly so you don’t mutilate yourself. “Don’t worry it wasn’t that kind of thermometer.”

The water you have in your mouth slowly spills from your mouth on its own accord into the sink. The sudden run to the kitchen finally registers in your legs. You slump down sitting on the floor with your back to kitchen cabinet holding the sink. You hang your head down in an attempt to get more blood flow to your head spitting out the remaining water in your mouth. As you push the last bit of water and soap suds out of your mouth something envelops you.

“There, there, it's okay, it’s okay.” Fluttershy is sitting at your side, holding you in a tight embrace, rocking you back and forth, in an attempt to comfort you.

Your first reaction is to push her away, she just invaded your personal space, but being held like this doesn’t actually feel so bad. Moving your head, you rest your forehead on her chest enjoying the warmth that it transfers. This lasts for a short while until she finally stops rocking you and let’s go.

“Feeling better?” looking up your eyes meet hers. She seems relaxed, as if she can read the relaxed state of mind you’re in now knowing that the thermometer wasn’t what it seemed to be.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry for knocking you over back there.” An apologetic smile crosses your lips as you break eye contact.

“Oh, that’s okay.” Taking your hand, Fluttershy helps you up by beating her wings as she stands upright. “Now let’s get you to bed.”

As the two of you enter the living room, Twilight comes over to you an embarrassed look on her face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that, can you ever forgi-.” Stopping mid-sentence she looks at you or rather she’s looking at your neck.

Only now do you realise that you dropped the blanket in your mad dash for the kitchen. Looking over to where you bumped into Fluttershy you see it lying there on the floor. Looking at Twilight you see she’s staring at you almost in a state of shock. Turning your gaze to Fluttershy, you see that she like you is just coming to the realisation at you dropped the blanket, thereby bringing the charade to an abrupt end.

“WHY ISN’T HE WEARING HIS COLLAR?!!!” Twilight is the first to break the awkward silence in the room, and boy does she ever break it.

Her voice is at a height that not only breaks it; it destroys it, like an eighteen wheeler truck driving through a porcelain shop.

“Um... Well... you see Twilight... it’s like this...um.” Turning her head so her mane covers her face save for one of her eyes, Fluttershy seems at a loss for words. “Well I didn’t think he should wear it too soon. Eh... he might hurt himself and, well. I asked him if he would wear it and he said no, so I think that he shouldn’t have to and...” Turning her face away from you and Twilight, she begins to mumble incoherently to herself.

You and Twilight look at her, but after she begins to mumble your eyes meet, both your gazes focusing on the other like on a poisonous viper who’s just waiting to strike.

“So you’re the one who came up with that stupid collar?!” Pointing a finger accusingly at Twilight, you begin to sidestep.

“Yes, it’s the only way to make sure you’re not a threat!” Following your side steps Twilight brings her horn to shine in a lavender glow, telling you she’s preparing to use magic.

Your presumption turns out to be correct as the collar appears, floating next to her, her magic flowing around it.

A threat, it was the last thing you expected to be called. Since you came here you have been all but helpless. Needing twenty four hours care for the first month and a half just to survive, how could you be a threat?

“Twilight, how could I be a threat?” Deciding to play it smart you opt out of direct confrontation. Twilight has magic, and even if this turned into a slugging match, her better stamina would win the day. Not to mention that with her hooves, she would properly be able to deck you with a single hit. Taking your hands up in a calming gesture you try to defuse the situation. “I’m weaker than any pony I met, even now I wouldn’t be able to do ten push ups. How could I be a threat to anyone?”

“You may not be a threat now, but who knows what will happen when you get your strength back? If you really mean that, then put the collar on.” There is no sign that Twilight defused as she floats the collar over to you.

“NO!!!” As the collar comes within range you slap it, sending it flying through the room, where it hits the wall and falls on the floor. “I refuse to wear that stupid collar, its demeaning; it would be like me forcing you to wear a saddle!”

“Ponies wear saddles when it’s cold! I wore one when I came over here, so that means that there’s no problem for you to wear this!” Using her magic Twilight floats the collar back next to her and starts to advance on you.

You had hoped to defuse the situation, your aggressive slapping the collar sank that ship faster than the Titanic. Now Twilight is more than ever set on you wearing the collar, and armed with the knowledge that you see it as no worse than wearing a saddle. She sees your continual refusal to wear it as confirmation that you are up to no good.

“Fuck, how could I forget she wore a saddle over here? I saw her wear it, but seriously why would a pony wear a saddle unless they were forced into it?” Backing away from the advancing Twilight you look to Fluttershy for support, but she’s still just standing there mumbling. She seems to be in her own little world and not much help. “I’ll protect you, yeah right. What am I gonna do? I’m royally, woops.” As you step backwards you almost trip over the blanket that you dropped on the floor earlier. “Stupid blanket I almost fell over you and... wait a minute.”

Getting an idea, you stop after you stepped over the blanket. “Okay you're right.” You say as you hang your shoulders down in apparent defeat.

Twilight stops her advance, cocking her head in surprise. “What?”

“You’re right, I’m being overly sensitive about this.... sorry I blew it out of proportions, it must be because I’m new to this place and all.” You run you hand over the back of your head pretending to be embarrassed.

“Oh... well I’m glad that you’re finally seeing reason.” Twilight comes closer. She’s smiling, clearly happy that the two of you have reached an understanding. “I’ll just put this on you and everything will be right as rain.”

When she comes within reach, you quickly move your foot under the blanket and loop it over her head.

“HEY!!!”

The trick clearly came as a surprise to her, as she backs away in an attempt to get the blanket as you rush over and tackle her. Pulling the blanket firmly down over her head and upper body, you grab her and roll over her. You are now lying on the floor on your back, with a not too happy unicorn on your chest. Using your arms and leg you hold her in place, the blanket means that only her back legs can move and kick. And they are kicking away, but since she is lying on her back, on your chest, with your arms and legs around her she can’t hit you.

“LET GO OF ME!!!” Judging by her voice she’s close to boiling point.

“No, we’re staying like this until you promise not to put that collar on me!” this position means that she can’t use her all out strength, but you still have to hold on for dear life, so she doesn’t get loose.

Looking at the collar, you see it’s still on the floor where she dropped it. “That means that if she can’t see it she can’t wield it. Good, she’ll simmer down eventually and then-. What the!”

There is a sudden burst of lavender light, and you realise that she’s no longer on your chest, all that’s there is an empty blanket. Before you can react to the new turn of events, there is a new burst of lavender light a couple of yards over you and Twilight reappears.

“Oh shi-.” Is all you can say before the aggravated purple unicorn lands on you, knocking the wind out of you, making you sound like an oversized whoopee cushion.

Twilight is now on top, of both the situation and you, and with the wind knocked out of you, there isn’t much you can do. Before long she has your shoulders pinned to the floor, leaving you all but helpless.

“Just... put... the... collar... on!” She says between pants, as she looks down at you. Her straight and well combed mane is dishevelled after the blanket trick, and it makes her look even more angry and scary.

It takes some time for you to respond, but when you finally get enough air in your lungs to reply, you look her straight in the eye and say “N-No!”

You lock eyes with each other, but nothing happens. Both of you need a moment to get your breath back before any of you can do anything. Twilight is the first of you to get her breath back, and igniting her horn she floats the collar towards you.

“Then I’ll do it.” She says as the collar come closer inch by inch.

Trying to move, but being pinned by Twilight you are close to panic. “Oh no, what am I going to do?! Come on, think, think of something, anything!”

When the collar is only a couple of inches from you, you finally get an idea. On paper it’s a stupid idea, but in the past with fights with your older siblings it had sometimes brought results. Since Twilight is only pinning you shoulders, it means that you can still move your arms a bit. Just enough to reach her arm pits or foreleg pits or whatever they are called. It doesn’t matter at this moment, when you reach them you use the only weapon you have left....... you tickle her.

Twilight gives a surprised snort and then starts to giggle uncontrollably. There is another side effect to your attack, she moves backwards and up as a reflex to get away from your fingers. This gives you the chance you had been waiting for. Leading your knees up to your chest you place your feet on her chest and kick your legs straight. The kick come as a surprise for Twilight, with the upward motion the kick sends her backwards on her hind legs. Moving backwards like this clearly isn’t something she’s used to, like a drunk she topples backwards until she hits Fluttershy’s couch. She trips over it and falls backwards over it, overturning it as she disappears on the other side of it.

Turning over on your stomach you quickly look around the room. “I need a weapon or something, something to keep her at bay until we can come to some sort of arrangement that doesn’t involve me having to wear that collar.” Looking around you spot a poker hanging on a rack next to the fireplace. “That’ll do.”

As you try to get up you discover something. Your body, though in better shape than it was when you woke up, is still not anywhere near it’s normal condition. You can’t stand up. The moans from the other side of the couch tell you that Twilight is not knocked out. Not that you expected her to be, but for once it would be nice if whatever gods rule fate around here could cut you some slack. Crawling on your knees and elbows you inch closer to the poker.

“Come on, just a bit more, almost there.” Reaching out with your right hand you feel the cold iron against your fingertip. “I did it!”

Suddenly an unseen force drags your legs out from under you, before you can grab the poker you are drawn across the floor. Reaching the wall at the other side of the room the force lets go of your legs and grabs a hold of your chest. Lifting you backwards it pins your back to the wall and holds you there, leaving the rest of your body in a kneeling possession.

Looking around in an attempt to see what is doing this to you, you spot Twilight walking around the couch. Her mane is even more disorderly than before, she now has a black eye; she must have turned in midair after she fell over the couch and landed on her face. She was mad before, after you held her against her will, but now she’s positively terrifying. She’s seems to have reached the state where you can’t read her emotions, something that where you come from is a clear sign to be wary of. She walks closer each step slow and calculated her eyes never leaving you, she’s making sure you don’t try anything. Her horn could probably illuminate the other room had the sun not been up, and when you look down you see a purple glow surrounding your chest. As she passes the collar that lies on the floor between you, a strand of magic from her horn grabs it levitating it into the air next to her. Now armed with the tool of your destruction or at least that how you see it she comes closer and closer.

You instinctively take your hands behind your neck, shooting your elbows forward and tilting your head forward until your chin touch your chest you try to make a shield so she can’t put the collar on you.

“Move your arms.” her voice is cold, completely devoid of any emotion, so much so that even anger can’t be traced in it.

“No!” Keeping your head down you turn your eyes up to meet hers. You’re scared right now, but you won’t go down without a fight.

“Move your arms,” The order is repeated, still no clear emotion, but the fear factor surrounding her is reaching critical.

“N-No!” You keep your arms where they are, what can she do?

The answer comes as soon as you say no. The glow from your chest moves up your arms until it reaches both your wrists. It grabs your wrists and stretches your arms out to the sides. Now you only have your chin to keep the collar at bay, and as the glow spreads up your neck you know what’s coming next. Your head is turned upwards until it points straight ahead. From this possession you are now at eye level with Twilight and the collar, the collar that will be around your neck in a matter of seconds. You close your eyes, you can face many things, but the end result you're facing now is for some reason too scary to face. The two ends of the open collar touch your throat and moves painfully slow over your common carotid arteries. It’s only a few seconds from happening now and you’re powerless to stop it. A single tear runs down from your eye you lost and it wasn’t even a close fight, and worst of all you lost to a girl. Well technically a mare, but still the opposite sex, the weaker sex, and she mopped the floor with you.

Suddenly the collar changes direction and flies the opposite way it’s coming from, what can best be described as a stomp in the floor makes you open your eyes again. Your vision is blocked by a field of pink, pink and yellow.

“Let him go Twilight!” The voice removes any doubt in your mind, it’s Fluttershy. She’s standing between you and Twilight, the collar held towards the floor by her hoof.

The silence in the room is so thick that you would need a lightsaber to cut it. Both you and Twilight are too surprised at this sudden and unexpected development in Fluttershy’s 180 degree turn in her personality.

“I said, let him go Twilight. NOW!” Fluttershy’s voice, normally so delicate and demure, is now hard and sharp as flint.

As she says the last word in the sentence her wings folds out giving her a bigger and more dominating presence. The magic that surrounds you disappears in a flash leaving you to slowly glide along the wall to your right until you’re lying on your right side on the floor. A front row seat to what is happening in front of you.

“B –But you saw Celestia’s face after she looked into his mind when he was asleep, she looked horrified. I’ve known her almost all of my life and I never seen her look so scared.” Having a mixture of surprise and fear painted over her entire being, Twilight alternated looking between you and Fluttershy. “We agreed that we should put the Gleipnir on him so he didn’t hurt anypony.”

“Yes we did, but I changed my mind. He’s not dangerous, a little mopey at times, but who isn’t? He wouldn’t hurt a fly and I wouldn’t let you hurt him, I promised that I would protect him and I’ll do that, even against you.” Sidestepping to place herself directly between Twilight and your new position, Fluttershy spreads her wings even more, as if to try to cover you entirely from Twilight with her own body.

“But what if you’re wrong? What if the Princess decides that he is a threat? What then?”

“When the Princess comes to me personally or sends a troop of royal guards with a letter written by her own hoof, I’ll consent to have him put the collar on. Until then I won’t force him and I’ll not allow anyone to put it on him against his will. Now I think you should leave. We can talk more in details about this after all three of us are cooled down, and can sit down like civilized ponies and talk about this.”

Twilight slowly moves backwards until she reaches her saddlebags. Using her magic she lifts them up on her back, quickly adorning her saddle, boots and scarf she moves to the door. Giving the yellow pegasus turned juggernaut that stands between you and her a last worried glance, before she gives a quick goodbye and leaves.

Laying on the floor you should be happy that you have avoided the collar, but other thoughts preoccupy your mind. You just got beaten up by a girl, mare, organic life form with a pair of x chromosomes. And now you’ve been saved by the same..... you are really and truly utterly helpless.

“Are you okay?” Fluttershy now turned back to her normal self, walks over to you and attempts to nuzzle you to comfort you.

You bring up your arm like she’s attempting to brand you with a red hot branding iron. “WHO ASKED YOU TO INTERFERE?!!! I HAD EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL!!!”

Feeling that there might be more tears in your eyes, you use the last bit of strength you have to get up and stagger to the one place you know you can be alone, the first floor bathroom. Locking the door, you find a corner where Fluttershy can’t see you if she flies up to the window from the outside. Thankfully, Fluttershy didn’t follow, she still stands where you left her a look of utter surprise on her face.

****

At about the same time as you lock the bathroom door, someone is knocking at the front door to Sweet Apple Acres, as if they are trying to break the door down.

“Hold ya horses I’m a comin!” Getting up from the kitchen table Applejack walks over and opens the door. “Twilight? What happened to you and where’s the fire at?”

“APPLEJACK YOU’VE GOT TO HELP ME!!!” Twilight sounds like she’s in a panic. “I THINK THE HUMAN HAS POSSESSED FLUTTERSHY!!!”

“Come again?”

Author's Note

Okay chapter tree dear readers hope you liked it.

A Little question from your favorite deadline breaker.

Do you think the story could use sections or maybe sub-chapters where we get to experience the ponies point of view?

Just asking, since I'm apparently not very good at getting their point of view across the way I'm doing it now, if the comment section is anything to go by.

Just a thought.

As always criticism is more than welcome, so I can improve my meager skills as a writer.

Finally, what do you think of the new cover art? The first art worked for the theme in the first chapter, but doesn't really fit in with where I wanna thake this story in the chapters to come. Maybe this doesn't fit it either, but it was the best I could find. If you have an Idea for a new cover art, please leave a comment and link in the Suggestion Box on my blog.

Love and friendship.

Happy-X-rays.